


Unfamiliar

by often_adamanta



Series: On the Square Universe [3]
Category: Lord of the Rings RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-06-05
Updated: 2005-06-05
Packaged: 2017-10-22 06:23:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/234866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/often_adamanta/pseuds/often_adamanta
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Beta'd by the amazing <span class="ljuser ljuser-name_dianadisaster"><a href="http://dianadisaster.livejournal.com/profile"><img/></a><a href="http://dianadisaster.livejournal.com/"><b>dianadisaster</b></a></span></p>
    </blockquote>





	Unfamiliar

**Author's Note:**

> Beta'd by the amazing [](http://dianadisaster.livejournal.com/profile)[**dianadisaster**](http://dianadisaster.livejournal.com/)

  
“And then Pippin decided to climb the ladder as well, but just ended up scaring Miranda so badly that she fell off and knocked over an entire bookcase, everything landing with this giant crash. When I get downstairs, Miranda’s standing in a pile of books, glaring at Pippin, who’s on the shelves she was stocking and looks perfectly innocent,” Orli finishes, Karl laughing along with him.

“She wasn’t hurt?”

“A few bruises. She’s amazingly tough.”

“I got that impression,” Karl agrees, pulling a face at the memory of arguing with Miranda.

Orli laughs. “She hates being wrong.”

They both fall quiet, but not uncomfortably so, and Orli takes another bite of his salad, mostly neglected so far as he rambled on to Karl about the store. Karl was surprisingly easy to talk to.

The small restaurant is one Orli’s only been to a handful of times. It’s across from the theater and packed tonight, voices and waitstaff buzzing around their table.

“So you just moved out here?” Orli asks.

“Yes, from the city. I hate it there. I’ve wanted to move for years.”

“Why now?”

“The timing was right. I own a construction company, and it takes care of itself for the most part now.” Karl stops abruptly, taking a sip of water, and Orli can sense half the explanation left unsaid.

Curiosity did not kill the cat. Orli had two prime examples at home. “And?” Karl looks confused. “Why else was the timing right?”

Karl smiles, shaking his head. “My boyfriend of four years left me. I couldn’t stand living in that apartment anymore.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Orli responds, touching Karl lightly on the wrist in sympathy. “I shouldn’t have asked.”

“No, it’s fine. I don’t mind telling you.” Karl reassures him, but still seems tense.

“It’s funny, that’s what gave me the guts to move out here, too.” Orlando tells him casually.

“Really?”

“Yeah. I was very young, but owning a bookstore has always been my dream. My boyfriend laughed at it every time I brought it up, telling me I’d never do it. When he dumped me, I was crushed, although I realize now how horrible he was to me, and I had to do something to feel good about myself. The property was for sale and now I’m here.”

“And happy now, right?” Karl asks, sounding shy again but catching Orli’s eyes when he looked up.

Beautiful, dark brown eyes, Orli realizes, and fights down the flash of disappointment because they aren’t blue. “Most of the time, yes.”

Their waiter sets the check on the table and Orli glances at his watch as Karl digs for his wallet. “They’re about to start seating,” Orli announces, and soon he and Karl and headed toward the door.

There are people staring at them. Orli can feel it as a tingle in the base of his skull. It could be because Karl is still a stranger or that Orlando is breaking the usual pattern and on a date, but Orli suspects that it’s mostly because they’re two men together in a small, country town. No matter how long they’ve known Orli, tonight he is the unfamiliar.

\-----

“That was great!” Karl exclaims as they step out of the theater, evening now fully developed into night. “I haven’t laughed that hard in months!”

“I told you _Twelfth Night_ was one of my favorites,” Orli replies, laughing gently at Karl’s enthusiasm.

“You’ve seen it before?”

“No, but I’ve read it. I own a bookstore, remember?”

“Yes, right.” Orli’s afraid for a second that he’s embarrassed Karl, but the smile never leaves. “I always thought Shakespeare was about tragedy. You know, where the plot is along the lines of ‘and then everyone dies’. But this was funny!” Orli giggles at Karl’s enthusiasm.

The walk back to Orli’s store is short, and they reach the door before the laughter has a chance to fade.

“I had a wonderful time,” Karl says, and the unspoken word hangs heavily until Orli voices it.

“But?”

“But I realize that I’m not ready to date. I just – not yet.”

Orli sighs at the reprieve. “Thank God!”

“What?” Karl looks torn between relief that Orli isn’t upset and offense at whatever Orli means by that.

“Sorry, that was rude.” Orli apologized, chuckling at himself. “I’m just glad that I don’t have to turn you down, because I’m in… I’m in love with someone else,” Orli admits, understanding even as he says it that it’s true.

“Then what are you doing out with me?”

“The guy I like… he doesn’t know. But it doesn’t matter. I know he doesn’t return my feelings,” Orli explains before Karl can ask.

Karl stares thoughtfully at Orli for a few seconds. “I bet I could guess who it was.”

“What? How?”

“There was this guy at the theater staring at you.”

“Karl, people were staring at us all night.”

“Yes,” Karl agrees. “But he was staring at _you_. For most of the play, I might add. I noticed him when I put my arm on your chair. He didn’t seem too pleased about it.”

“Who?”

“I don’t know his name. He was smallish, with pale skin and dark hair, sitting two rows behind us.”

Orli can’t believe it was Elijah acting the way Karl describes, but he can’t think of anyone else in town who matches that description, at least not as well as Elijah. Orli shakes his head.

“So I was right, huh?” Karl presses but doesn’t expect a reply. “You should talk to him.”

“He has a girlfriend.”

“What does that have to do with it?”

Orli can think of a few things, but he ignores it. “It’s stupid. This whole night I felt like I was cheating on him. He doesn’t even like me.”

“That’s not stupid.” Karl leans in and kisses Orli’s cheek. “Goodnight, Orlando.”

Karl walks away toward his truck, and Orli stands there, keys dangling, motionless and confused.

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted at livejournal [here](http://often-adamanta.livejournal.com/76202.html).


End file.
